Kipchoge Keino steals show as judoka eliminated

Kipchoge Keino joins children from various schools to celebrate the annual International Olympic Day at the Nyayo National Stadium. [PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO]

During the Commonwealth games opening ceremony, Dr Kipchoge Keino, the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) President, needed no elevation to stand tall at the event staged at the famed home of Celtic football club.

Dressed in cream white suit, he was the only black man to carry the Commonwealth Games flag before Queen Elizabeth ll as the games started, which was a great honour for Kenya and the continent.

“I am happy to have you people (Kenyan media) here. I am also happy that we are all carrying the Kenyan flag high here,” he told Kenyan journalists at the media centre on Wednesday.

The games kicked off on Wednesday night in a blaze of tartan and fireworks –and with a traffic cone stuck on the head of the city’s Duke of Wellington statue.

The event at Celtic Park –a place famed back in Kenya because it is where Victor Wanyama played professional football before going to English Premier League side Southampton –featured more than 1,400 Terries.

The opening ceremony also featured a Commonwealth-wide fundraiser for children, thanks to the partnership with Unicef. The festival had two concerts featuring Lulu, Eddi Reader and Belle and Sebastian.

Thousands of people were given the chance to celebrate the opening ceremony amid live music, special guests and big-screen coverage in both Glasgow Green and Kelvingrove park.

Lulu and Eddi Reader headlined proceedings at Glasgow Green, while Belle and Sebastian in tracksuits and with mascot Clyde on stage –headlined Kelvingrove Bandstand.

Clyde is a river that traverses the city of Glasgow.

The opening ceremony attracted more than 40,000 spectators who were treated to a stunning night of entertainment from Scottish icon Rod Stewart, former Britain’s Got Talent finalist Susan Boyle and singer-songwriter Amy McDonald.